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Four studies were conducted to examine whether disinhibited eating among restrained eaters can be differentiated from simple overeating, which occurs among both restrained and unrestrained eaters. We propose that disinhibited eating is caused by the conscious relaxation of inhibitions on food intake. In contrast, simple overeating is an umbrella term encompassing all forms of inadvertent overeating. This includes overeating in response to cues that redefine acceptable intake, and thus allow people to eat more than usual without viewing their food intake as excessive. Disinhibited eating in dieters should result in continued overeating in the absence of factors causing reinhibition, whereas simple overeating does not undermine dietary inhibition and should not result in continued overeating, and may not even be experienced as overeating. Furthermore, unlike simple overeating, disinhibited eating should be accompanied by perceptions that one has eaten too much. Study 1 examines whether restrained eaters who become disinhibited continue to overeat after the disinhibitor is removed. Restrained eaters who were disinhibited by expecting their diets to be broken, and only those restrained eaters, continued to overeat when presented with a second eating opportunity. Studies 2 and 3 assess whether simple overeating in response to normative cues can be distinguished from disinhibited eating in response to cognitive cues related to thinking the diet is or will be broken. In Study 3, restrained eaters who became disinhibited by thinking that their diets would be broken viewed their food intake as excessive and continued to overeat after the disinhibitor was removed. In contrast, restrained eaters who ate a lot after being informed that other study participants had eaten a large amount did not view their food intake as excessive and did not go on to overeat during a second eating opportunity. Study 4 was designed to further examine the role of awareness of having overeaten in disinhibited eating, but no disinhibition effect was observed. Overall, the results suggest that disinhibited eating can be distinguished from simple overeating on the basis of whether restrained eaters view their intake as excessive and whether they continue to overeat during a second eating opportunity.

Four studies were conducted to examine whether disinhibited eating among restrained eaters can be differentiated from simple overeating, which occurs among both restrained and unrestrained eaters. We propose that disinhibited eating is caused by the conscious relaxation of inhibitions on food intake. In contrast, simple overeating is an umbrella term encompassing all forms of inadvertent overeating. This includes overeating in response to cues that redefine acceptable intake, and thus allow people to eat more than usual without viewing their food intake as excessive. Disinhibited eating in dieters should result in continued overeating in the absence of factors causing reinhibition, whereas simple overeating does not undermine dietary inhibition and should not result in continued overeating, and may not even be experienced as overeating. Furthermore, unlike simple overeating, disinhibited eating should be accompanied by perceptions that one has eaten too much. Study 1 examines whether restrained eaters who become disinhibited continue to overeat after the disinhibitor is removed. Restrained eaters who were disinhibited by expecting their diets to be broken, and only those restrained eaters, continued to overeat when presented with a second eating opportunity. Studies 2 and 3 assess whether simple overeating in response to normative cues can be distinguished from disinhibited eating in response to cognitive cues related to thinking the diet is or will be broken. In Study 3, restrained eaters who became disinhibited by thinking that their diets would be broken viewed their food intake as excessive and continued to overeat after the disinhibitor was removed. In contrast, restrained eaters who ate a lot after being informed that other study participants had eaten a large amount did not view their food intake as excessive and did not go on to overeat during a second eating opportunity. Study 4 was designed to further examine the role of awareness of having overeaten in disinhibited eating, but no disinhibition effect was observed. Overall, the results suggest that disinhibited eating can be distinguished from simple overeating on the basis of whether restrained eaters view their intake as excessive and whether they continue to overeat during a second eating opportunity.

This thesis deals with factors which may be related to faulty body image in anorexic, bulimic, overweight, and non-eating-disordered (ED) women. It was found that anorexic, bulimic, and overweight women overestimated their body sizes whereas non-eating-disordered controls were accurate regardless of assessment method. Additionally, ED women had slimmer notions of average, normal-healthy, ideal and own ideal sizes than did controls. For controls and successful dieters, the larger one perceived oneself to be the larger were one's selection of references sizes; this was not found for anorexic and bulimic women, nor for unsuccessful dieters. Successful dieters in a weight loss program had more accurate body images and selected larger references than did unsuccessful dieters. Body size confrontation resulted in more accurate body image and in more positive attitudes toward dieting in anorexics.

There is little research examining the impact of divorce on children’s experiences of food and eating. This is surprising considering the high rates of divorce in Canada, 50% of which involve children, and current concerns about children’s health and weight. The purpose of this project was to explore how divorce and spending time in two households affects teenagers’ eating practices, the social and cultural meanings they associate with food and eating, and their identities. Situated in the childhood studies literature, this study acknowledged teenagers’ agency and competence by engaging them in photo-elicited, open-ended interviews. Nine teenagers between the ages of 11-17 were recruited and participated in individual interviews that ranged from 55 to 120 minutes in duration. I used inductive qualitative techniques to code and analyze the data. The findings show that teenagers from divorced families who split their time between two homes must negotiate and adapt to new food cultures in each of their homes. Rules around the types of, and access to certain foods changed between homes as did the expectations around dinnertime, eating together, and food preparation responsibilities. The rules and expectations of the teenagers changed as parents re-married and as new stepsiblings and half-siblings joined the family. The participants were active agents in each home, often deciding to comply with the rules and expectations but also exerting power and control, for example, by withholding mealtime conversation. The participants were aware of hegemonic ideals of the family and the family meal and worked to protect the image of their parents and families. This study shows that divorce influences social and cultural aspects of food and eating for teenagers. The findings can help inform public health strategies and best practice of clinicians, such as dietitians, counsellors, and doctors. It can also add to the limited body of research on the topic in childhood studies and food studies. / Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2011-08-15 11:24:22.997

Eating disorders are a significant health concern due to their high rates of comorbidity, mortality, and the physical and mental distress they cause. While many people are aware of the negative effects eating disorders have on physical and mental health, few realize that suicide is a potential outcome. Although the relationships between eating disorders and suicidality have been examined in clinical populations with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, these relationships have not been examined in the general population, nor with binge eating disorder. This study aimed to investigate these relationships in the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiologic Surveys (CPES, N=20,013), a large, nationally representative sample of adults in the United States. Logistic regression analyses revealed that individuals with a history of each eating disorder reported higher rates of suicide ideation and suicide attempts. Rates of suicide experiences among this population are similar to individuals with a history of major depression and a comorbid anxiety disorder. It is clear from this study that suicide remains a significant concern for individuals suffering from an eating disorder in the general population. It is essential that clinicians screen for suicide experiences in individuals suspected of suffering from an eating disorder.

The purpose of this study was to compare the psychometric profiles and admission data of black South African females with white South African females on admission to the Eating Disorder Unit at Tara the H. Moross Centre. A total of 20 eating disorder patients between the age range of 13 and 29 years admitted to the Tara between the periods 1998-2004 were studied. Of the 20 patients, 5 black and 5 white patients with a DSMIV diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa were used; and 5 black and 5 white patients with a DSMIV diagnosis of Bulimia Nervosa. Psychometric profiles of each patient were established through the use of the EDI (Eating Disorder Inventory) the BITE (Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh) and the BECK Depression Inventory. Admission data consisted of age, race, sex, occupation, home language, province of residence, diagnosis, period of onset, year of admission, admission weight, goal weight, height, body mass index, own ideal weight, highest past weight, lowest past weight, amenorrhea (duration). All admission and psychometric measurements indicated no significant difference between culture groups for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Hence, it is seems as if the psychometric profiles of hospitalised eating disorder patients are similar despite racial/ethnic differences and that black South African females also have similar admission data as white females. / M.Soc.Sc. (Clinical Psychology) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2004

Eating disorders are known for their chronic and relapse-ridden course. The cyclical nature of these disorders poses not only grave physical and mental health risks for the sufferer; it also presents serious challenges for the treating professionals and places a high demand and cost on the health care system. In spite of extensive research, no reliable predictors of long-term EDs have been identified in either adult or adolescent populations, nor have treatments emerged that are specifically targeted towards treating those with a long-term ED. It is fundamental to understand who is at risk and what factors are involved in long-term EDs, as the clinical and treatment implications gleaned from this evidence could be quite impactful. The current project will include three studies that will explore long-term EDs in a large transdiagnostic sample of adolescents with an ED. It will also attempt to overcome methodological limitations associated with past studies of this type, and apply an operational definition of this course of illness that may provide a more reliable and valid method with which to identify these cases. As such, the use of the term refractory ED, defined as a return to same-type treatment, will be applied to best identify this group. The three studies proposed in this research project will provide long overdue information on predictors, profiles and growth trajectories of those adolescents who suffer from a refractory course of an ED. This research project attempts to answer the question of: who will be affected, and how will the individual be affected by a refractory ED. With the ability to identify these cases and how the course of illness is being affected, treatment approaches can better aim to provide the appropriate treatment to those individuals most at risk of suffering from a refractory course of illness.

Bakgrund: En ökad medveten närvaro kring måltiden och ätandet genom mindful eating har i ny forskning visat sig vara en effektiv metod för att minska en rad olika sjukdomar och hälsorelaterade problem samt bidra till gynnsamma hälsoeffekter. Trots detta finns få studier genomförda i en svensk kontext. Syfte: Undersöka och beskriva graden av mindful eating hos en grupp individer på sociala medier i förhållande till Body Mass Index och demografiska variabler. Metod: Deskriptiv tvärsnittsstudie med en kvantitativ ansats. Ett tidigare utvecklat instrument, Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ), översattes och distribuerades som en webbaserad enkätundersökning. Respondenterna rekryterades under en veckas tid genom ett snöbollsurval på det sociala nätverket Facebook. Inklusionskriterierna var att deltagarna skulle behärska det svenska språket, vara mellan 20-65 år och användare av Facebook. Urvalet bestod sammanlagt av 264 respondenter. Reslutat: Huvudresultatet visade att deltagarna generellt sett hade en god grad av mindful eating med en total MEQ-poäng på 2,82. Högst poäng hade de på underkategorin känslomässig reaktion (3,01) och lägst poäng på medvetenhet (2,55). Skillnader och samband mellan den totala graden av mindful eating och bakgrunds variablerna förekom endast för Body Mass Index (BMI). Personer med normalvikt (BMI 18,5-24,9) var markant mer medvetna än de övriga. För de olika underkategorierna och de oberoende variablerna kunde ett flertal skillnader och samband identifieras. Främst i relation till BMI, kön och ålder. Slutsats: Studien visade att graden av mindful eating främst skiljde sig i förhållande till BMI, vilket överensstämmer med tidigare studier i andra länder. Detta kan vara ett betydelsefullt resultat dels för att väcka intresset kring mindful eating och dess hälsoeffekter, dels för att mindful eating kan vara en effektiv metod för att främja goda matvanor i en svensk befolkning. / Background: An increased awareness around the meal and eating through mindful eating has in recent research proved to be an effective method for reducing a wide range of diseases and health problems and contribute to beneficial health effects. Despite this, few studies have been conducted in a Swedish context. Objective: To examine and describe the degree of mindful eating in a group individuals on social media in relation to Body Mass Index and demographic variables. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach. An previously developed instrument, Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ), was translated and distributed as a web-based survey. Respondents were recruited during one week by a snowball sample on the social network Facebook. The criteria for inclusion was that the participants should master the Swedish language, be between 20-65 years and users of Facebook. The sample comprised a total of 264 respondents. Reslutat: Main results indicated that participants generally had a good degree of mindful eating, with a mean MEQ-score of 2.82. The highest score was on the subscale of emotional response (3.01) and the lowest point at the awareness (2.55). Differences and correlation between the mean mindful eating score and background variables occurred only with BMI. People with normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.9) were markedly more aware than the other. For the different subscales and the demographic variables several differences and correlations were identified. Mainly in relation to BMI, gender and age. Conclusion: The study showed that the degree of mindful eating mainly differed in relation to BMI, which is consistent with previous studies in other countries. This can be a important result partly to raise awareness about mindful eating and its health effects, partly because mindful eating can be an effective method of promoting good eating habits in a Swedish population.

Eating disorders are a significant health concern due to their high rates of comorbidity, mortality, and the physical and mental distress they cause. While many people are aware of the negative effects eating disorders have on physical and mental health, few realize that suicide is a potential outcome. Although the relationships between eating disorders and suicidality have been examined in clinical populations with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, these relationships have not been examined in the general population, nor with binge eating disorder. This study aimed to investigate these relationships in the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiologic Surveys (CPES, N=20,013), a large, nationally representative sample of adults in the United States. Logistic regression analyses revealed that individuals with a history of each eating disorder reported higher rates of suicide ideation and suicide attempts. Rates of suicide experiences among this population are similar to individuals with a history of major depression and a comorbid anxiety disorder. It is clear from this study that suicide remains a significant concern for individuals suffering from an eating disorder in the general population. It is essential that clinicians screen for suicide experiences in individuals suspected of suffering from an eating disorder.